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Student recommends police pilot and metrics for town’s shift from paper to digital records
Summary
Anthony Sterniolo told the committee a police‑department pilot that tracks paper volume, staff hours and supply spending could show early returns from digitizing town records; he cited roughly $120,000 in postage for one department and historical higher‑end estimates of avoided print/mail costs.
Anthony Sterniolo outlined the fiscal and operational case for shifting town departments from paper to digital, citing measured savings and intangible benefits. He said recent postage charges in one department were about $120,000 and that earlier committee work estimated an 80% reduction in print/mail could have saved about $191,000. Sterniolo proposed four concrete steps: endorse a police pilot, track tangible dollars by department (printing, postage, supplies, storage), score intangibles (response time, access, audit readiness), and scale successful pilots to other high‑paper departments.
Committee members and audience questioned how to accommodate residents who prefer paper, whether legal or regulatory requirements demand paper records, and how to handle legacy records and payment friction for online services. The presenter acknowledged those concerns and recommended making the police pilot inclusive and considering a "digital default, paper opt‑in" model while ensuring accessibility for seniors and others who rely on print.
"Postage under the finance director alone has run about $120,000 in recent actuals," Sterniolo said when outlining measurable savings. Committee members praised the pilot idea and recommended staff follow up on implementation details before broader roll‑out.
